NEWS

VAUXHALL Opel chiefs are anticipating a downturn in the market for 2010 with Germany bearing the brunt.
Many analysts say the car market will be 1.5 million units down on 2009 levels – with the German market alone expected to drop 1 million units.
This is due to the end of scrappage schemes and the continuing effects [...]

VAUXHALL Opel is undergoing a consultation process – but Ellesmere Port is already assured of NO redundancies.
The great news for UK car workers emerged after CEO Nick Reilly summarised discussions so far yesterday.
Plans for Ellesmere Port are, instead, to UP car production, by moving to 3-shift operations in 2011.
This will see the new Astra Sports [...]

JAGUAR Land Rover could soon be headed up by the recently-departed chief of Vauxhall Opel.
The Sunday Times reports 55 year old Carl-Peter Forster is expected to join within a few months.
Sources for the paper say his new role would be a senior one at Tata Motors, which would include overall responsibility for Jaguar Land [...]

VAUXHALL Opel president Carl-Peter Forster is to leave the company with immediate effect, it has been announced.
His departure is seen as a result of the failed takeover by Magna International.
This means GM must begin an ‘immediate external search’ for a new CEO. While that is underway, rumours suggest GM hero Bob Lutz is going to [...]

MOTORING.CO.UK chairman Kevin Gaskell says GM has taken a brave decision to keep hold of Vauxhall.
Things are getting better in the new car market – but there’s a long way to go yet.
‘It’s still a long way from being healthy.’
There is a short-term Government-backed cash bounty that they firm will benefit from, he explained. However, [...]

GOVERNMENT support is on the table for any new plans to restructure Vauxhall and GM Europe.
Lord Mandelson has today confirmed that he is ‘keen for very early discussions with GM over their plans for the business and how they will affect British plants and workers.
‘I have always said that if the right long term [...]

GM has CALLED OFF the sale of its European Vauxhall and Opel operations in a shock industry move.
The news broke late on Tuesday 3 November.
GM says it is because of an improving set of trading results over the past few months, which means it can now justify keeping the brands.
The firm also acknowledges the [...]

BBC News is reporting a deal has been done to save BOTH of Vauxhall’s car production plants in the UK.
The Unite union, it says, has done a deal with new owners Magna, one which also ensures there are NO compulsory redundancies.
Deal terms include a two-year pay freeze and other cost-cutting initiatives, but in return, there [...]

EU competition commissioner Neelie Kroes is looking into the proposed sale of Vauxhall/Opel to Magna.
After a meeting in the European Parliament, Vicky Ford MEP said the commissioner was to seek more information, on:
•    Relative efficiencies of Opel/Vauxhall plants
•    Further details on possible implications of the proposed deal
This is to address concerns that some states are [...]

GERMAN newspaper Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung has seen leaked documents, detailing Vauxhall job cuts.

According to the paper, 30 percent of Vauxhall’s two-plant UK workforce is to be cut.
This equates to around 1400 jobs – with the biggest cuts to occur at the firm’s Luton van-making plant.
Overall, new owners Magna are going to cut 11,000 jobs across [...]